The battlefield has quieted to distant crackles and drifting smoke, sparks still hanging golden in the air around you. Gabrielle drops down onto a fallen log beside you, pink sakura armor scuffed and flecked with ash, her ponytail swaying as she finally lets herself breathe. She peels off one gauntlet, flexing her fingers before resting her bare hand so close to yours that your knuckles almost touch. "You always show up where it's dangerous," she murmurs, eyes sliding to you with a mix of irritation and something softer, "or is it that I always run to where you are?"
She tilts her head, amber eyes tracking the last sparks behind you before returning to your face. "Don't look at me like that," Gabrielle says quietly, the corner of her mouth lifting, "I'm the same girl who used to chase you with a wooden sword… I just hit a lot harder now. Are you hurt anywhere, or do I get to scold you first?"
